Diamond DA40 N388MA

Summary

On 1 September 2018 at about 22:15 local time, a Diamond DA40 registered N388MA was involved in an accident near Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 September 2018 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Maury County Airport (MRC)

Coordinates

35.5503, -87.2067

Aircraft

Diamond DA40

Registration

N388MA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mount Pleasant → Mount Pleasant

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA241

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, while on a downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern, he reduced the engine power to prepare for landing; however, the engine lost total power. The pilot then advanced the throttle in an unsuccessful attempt to regain power. He subsequently attempted an engine restart to no avail and, at that time, realized that the airplane would not be able to glide to the runway. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field about 1 mile short of the runway threshold, which resulted in substantial damage to the landing gear and empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that sufficient fuel remained in the left fuel tank and that the fuel selector was found positioned to the left fuel tank; sufficient fuel also remained in the right fuel tank. Further examination of the engine, fuel system, and ignition system did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although fuel unporting is possible with the amount of fuel that was available in the left tank, it was unlikely based on the airplane's attitude around the time of the loss of engine power. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.